THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



133 



flavor, people show preference for a food, 

 and according to their like or dislike for 

 that particular flavor, a food might be- 

 come wholesome or unwholesome for that 

 particular individual. No doubt the sys- 

 tem can adapt itself, under peculiar con- 

 tions, to food which under other condi- 

 tions would make the same unwholesome 

 and followed by serious consequences. 

 This is not an argument in favor of bad 

 food, but intended merely to call atten- 

 tion to the peculiarity of the difierent 

 kinds of foods upon different individuals 

 under varying circumstances. Verily, it 

 may be said : "What is one man's food 

 is another man's poison." In some cases, 

 the ill-eftects are due to the flavor, in 

 others to indigestibility, and in some, 

 especially meats, less to any unwhole- 

 someness of the meat that to the effect of 

 the imagination, resulting from some dis- 

 like of that particular article. 



WHAT ADDITIONS ARE PERMISSIBI^E. 



It is desirable to exclude from food 

 everything that is unnatural thereto, and 

 yet this has its limits. Some foods during 

 the course of their preparation must re- 

 ceive the addition of condiments, such as 

 salt or spices, to make them palatable. 

 Admitting the food to be wholesome, the 

 question arises : What additions thereto 

 are permissible from a sanitary stand 

 point? 



The preservatives which are used to 

 keep food fresh act by preventing fermen- 

 tation. The question therefore arises : 

 What is the physiological effect per se, 

 under these conditions of the preserva- 

 tives used. The age, idiosyncrasy, and 

 the peculiar condition of the individual, 

 whether in good health or debilitated, 

 may give rise to varying conclusions. 

 It is well known in the practice of medi- 

 cine that some of the most intense pois- 

 ons are, when judiciously used in small 

 quantities, of the greatest benefit to the 



system, either as stimulants or nerve 

 tonics. Such are used, of course, under 

 peculiar conditions, nor could their use 

 be long continued without deleterious 

 effects. But it shows, nevertheless, that 

 because a substance is poisonous in one 

 condition it is not necessarily so in 

 another. Further, many of the irritant 

 poisons show their poisonous properties 

 only when they come in contact with the 

 system in concentrated forms. 



WHEN PRESERVATIVES WILL BE 

 TOLERATED. 



Many substances having pronounced 

 poisonous properties are taken into the 

 system dailj^ without any apparent ill- 

 effects; in fact, in many cases with pro- 

 nounced beneficial results. This is notably 

 the case with the condiments. A mustard 

 plaster would not be a very palatable diet 

 for any gastronome, and yet the active 

 principle of such a plaster is daily used 

 in the prepared mustard of the household- 

 Red pepper, the volatile oil of cloves, 

 cinnamon, nutmegs, lemon, or the deli- 

 cate ethers which impart the agreeable 

 flavors to the fruit, are, when taken into 

 the system by themselves in considerable 

 quantities, highly poisonous. Yet they 

 are in daily use, and delight humanity 

 with the agreeable taste and flavor they 

 impart to food, rendering the food in 

 many cases more wholesome and digesti- 

 ble than otherwise. Why is this ? It is 

 due to the degree of attenuation, the 

 difference in quantity and concentration, 

 and the different form in which these 

 substances are brought into contact with 

 the vital parts of the system. The quanti- 

 ties used are too insignificant to do harm. 

 In this attenuated form they are no longer 

 the powerful irritants, or whatever their 

 peculiar effect may be, but stimulants. 



The small quantity of preservatives, 

 limited to quantities actually required to 

 preserve a properly prepared food pro- 



